¡Hola, yo!

Here's a romcom that doesn't have enough R💓M or C😅M to make it anything special. It has its youthful vigor at times, however. There's more immature things out there, but Hello Me is stunted when it should thrive.

♻It has recycled plot devices. The rich dad kicks out the spoiled, lazy, good-for-nothing son without any help whatsoever. It happens in My First First Love (8-VG fun) & Revolutionary Love (5.7-very avg). In HM something magical happens due to deep regret - also seen a handful of times in recent yrs. Recycled plots can go either↔way; the important factor is the execution. Here, the delivery is mediocre.

HM is a 2021 release that is rated 88 on AWiki. Screenwriter Yoo Song Yi is just getting started. Director Lee Hyun Suk has shown his capabilities in The King's Affection-8.3. Choi Kang Hee (Queen of Mystery) is 37 y/o Ban Ha-ni. Kim Young Kwang (Call It Love-8.4, Pinocchio) plays ML, Han Yoo Hyun, & the marvelous Lee Re (Memories of the Alhambra-7.4) plays 17 y/o Ban Ha-ni.

We open up to Ha-ni in a 🐙suit, dancing, while trafficking samples at O'mart. She's living a pathetic life. In HS, she was Ha-ni-Hot-Stuff & everybody was in love w/ her. But she peaked too early & has been on a skid since the age of 17. Now she's turning 37.

Without an intervention, Hani37 will live out the remainder of her life in isolation, consumed w/ regret & guilt over a tragedy that occurred on >that< day, when she was 17. She made a big blunder & fate was not kind. She imploded & has lived the past 20 yrs in the shadows. Fickle fate decided to intervene again in the form of her 17 y/o self materialized like an infestation in her 37th yr. She doesn't merely have to live w/ herself, she has to babysit, feed, clothe, & raise herself. She must pose as her own mother to be able to walk the open air w/ herself. {She is dragged into a conversation-under-examination: Q: At what age did you get pregnant? Her answer is vague: Well, I was young. Q: Who's the father? A: I don't know. The response: I didn't take you for that kind of girl. A: I've lived a carefree life🙄} The scene is a mini moment of fun.

There are diverse characters in the show. A common theme is men-going-for-the-GL💫RY. There is one pair of bros who are always attempting a world record for some ridiculous thing & another pair that are always betting on everything. The betting was not revisited for the balance of the show, which is a disappointment; those lines could have 📝 themselves. Then there's the couple that can only show love, at least in the presence of others, by spatting at e/o. They think they've kept their affection on the down-low, but many of their coworkers are on to them.

Sadly, Ha-ni looks like Jody from Family Affair, but in the form of a forgotten rag doll that's been dragged out from underneath the cabinet in the corner. She's mousy, dowdy & defeated. Why do they keep her in a state of frumpiness? As things start to improve for her, why don't her hair & clothes look better? Looking at her in that degraded condition grows more wearisome w/ each ep. Can we reach through the 📺 & yank her to the hairdresser? Even after she goes to the salon & spruces up a bit, her hair color is awful & she has bangs in her eyes. They put her in jackets big enough to create the appearance of a troll's body w/ a little freckled head sticking out. When she isn't wearing a XXL coat, she's in an unflattering, ill-fitting suit. She looks downright chunky. (Is it a poor metaphor for weight or ⛓s?). When the show is nearly over, she's a tiny little thing in jeans. The problem is NOT weight or looks, but rather the horrible fit of the dingy clothes & the unflattering hairdos. Initially, her dejected look has a purpose, but as the show progresses, her appearance & manner should as well. This is to defend the actress, not to criticize her. She could be so much cuter than the way they have her looking onscreen.

They give good reasons for Hani37 turning out so timid & frumpy. There's no flashes of her true personality 20 yrs later. She's lost herself at the bottom, somewhere. Unfortunately, her character drags the entire show down. A steady stream of unsupported comments blather on about Hani37 & Hani17 looking & acting alike. They don't resemble each other much. The actress playing Hani17 is just another amazing Korean child-actor. Their craft is such pleasure to behold. I'll call out these Kdramas when it comes to skin color. A fascinating thing about many of these child actors is that they often have darker skin than the grown up version of the person they're playing. These talented kids probably can't get work once they grow too old to play a school kid, b/c Korea doesn't hand out many roles to actors darker than Tom Brady. That's just wrong.

Regardless of skin color, Korea does have some of the most attractive male leads in the world. Hyun looks like an Olympian swimmer w/ a Mr. Korea sweet-as-sweet-potato smile. He's a cutie. Mops & water go together, I suppose. Unfortunately, they fail to sell the romance. It doesn't rise to the level of made-for-network-TV standards.

I was enjoying HM in the opening eps, so I hung in there w/ alot of subpar elements. Over time, the issues pile up. A smattering here & there doesn't matter, but the show becomes increasingly worse as it matures, ironically. It gets as bad as a typical Hollywood feature. Issues are resolved easily w/ 2D emotions. They obviously didn't have a large budget - aside from her wardrobe being a disaster, many of the sets are minimal. Silly chases, scenarios, & over-overing abound. Our logic is insulted: 'I'm giving all my 💰 away to the poor. Now I'm gonna travel the 🌏,' one character decides at the show's 🔚. It begs the question: 'How will you afford it?' One greedy monster is forgiven too easily, receiving too much for too little. Hani17 encourages an adult to apologize, while Hani37 admits that she didn't apologize yrs before b/c she lacked the courage to do so. It's presented w/o any acknowledgement of the hypocrisy she's embodying. That's sloppy. They cut a lot of corners. And why would she give that bratty younger self the bed while she sleeps on the floor? I would never. I don't like the idiot I used to be at all; I'd take the 🛌. It's all in good fun... until it gets old. (Sleeping on the bed vs the floor is not the same in 🇰🇷 as it is In the 🇺🇸, to be fair).

There are worthy elements in HM. "As you live life, you'll come across painful moments that you just can't run away from. When that happens, close your eyes and count to 3. When you open your eyes again, you'll realize that you've become a little bit stronger," says Grandma. It encourages viewers to find the courage to revisit our expectations & aspirations. Part of that is accepting who we are, & not just the good points, but also our shortcomings, our past mistakes, & the things we need to work on. The newest world record holders word it well: "Challenging ourselves to new things everyday gave us strength & courage. It doesn't matter even if you collapse or fail every day. When that happens you tell yourself this: 'You're doing well. You're the most magnificent star in your life' - #only if you refuse to give up & get back on your feet once again."

Hani17's interaction w/ Chun-sik, which sounds like "chum sick," is truly amusing. He's an adult & a Super⭐, but when she learns who he is (an underling she always made fun of in HS) she treats him just like she did when they were in school together. And he lets her. His manager is astounded. It's the cutest thing about the show.

Hani17 is terribly entitled & self-centered. That's common for teens as we all are born 💯% selfish. Maturity is learning to not be selfish, & maturity is not in fashion these days. When we are young, adults may tell us that they 'knew everything when they were younger' & the 'older they get, the less they know'. The unfortunate irony is that young people can never comprehend this. Hani's younger self, being the way she was, is what led to all the problems. Who among us wouldn't want to shake the younger version of ourselves & tell h/h to wake up? I would smack the brat I used to be & tell that bo+ch what's what, b/c learning by hitting bottom is so painful I'd do anything to avoid it, & I desperately want to save those I love from the same agony. But Hani17 is also happy, outgoing, optimistic, & undaunted. No matter how mature we become, we shouldn't let those qualities entirely slip away.

So, is HM worth watching? It's not an easy call, only b/c Lee Re is so fantastic. For her performance alone, I'd say "yes," it's worth checking out. If the early eps aren't doing it for you, then just move on. HM doesn't improve w/ age.

QUOTES📢

The joy is doubled when shared.

"Money is always the problem, whether you have it or not."

〰🖍 IMHO

🎬6.3 📝6 🎭7.3 💓5 🦋2 🌞6 🎨5⚡3.5 🎵/🔊7.2 😅3.9 😭4 🤢2 🤔4 💤4.5 🔚7

Age 14+ we'll see a person dying on the street after being hit by a truck. The blood from their head is washing away in the rain. She poses as a single mother who cannot identify the father of the child. It all spurts out under high-pressure emergent situations. PG-13 language. Out of nowhere, at the beginning of ep 8, we hear the word prick + an F💣

Re-📺? Not likely

In order of ~lite&trite~ to ~heavy&serious~ you may like:

Oh My Venus 7.4; Crazy Love 7.8; A Witch's Love 7.8; Love to Hate You 8.9; Mr. Queen 8.5; Her Private Life 8; Romance is a bonus book 7.9; Touch your heart 8.2; Crash Landing On You 9.1; Oh My Ghost 10; Mr. Queen 8.5; My Sassy Girl / Yeopgijeogin Geunyeo 8.5; It's Okay Not To Be Okay 9; Love Struck in the City 7.3; Saimdang 8.5; Hospital Playlist 9; My Mister 9.5; I'll See You When the Weather is Fine 9;

For romance junkies only: My Secret Romance 7 (if you ff thru overdone flashbacks); Boys Over Flowers 8.